Toyota Invests $32 Million, Increases Engine Production, Jobs in Kentucky

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

My commonwealth is known for a few things: Bourbon. Baseball bats. Bourbon. Horses. Bourbon. College rivalries. Bourbon.

I did mention bourbon, right?

That said, we also have quite the auto industry in Kentucky: Bowling Green has made every last Corvette since the C4 era began, Louisville’s two Ford plants make the Focus-esque Escape and heavy-duty pickups, and in Georgetown… Venzas.

In light of Toyota’s good fortune as of late, Governor Steve Beshear (D-KY) in a press release announced that production of 4-cylinder engines in the Georgetown Toyota plant will increase by 100,000/year via a $31.9 million USD investment (based on a preliminary $6.5 million tax incentive), providing 86 new jobs. Some of those new engines will be shipped to Canada for placement in many a RAV4, the rest being placed in the Camrys, Avalons and Venzas springing forth from the Georgetown plant. The total investment made by Toyota to Kentucky to date is around $6 billion, while employing 6,700.

To quote my governor, “Twenty-six years ago, I took part in Toyota’s groundbreaking in Georgetown, which was filled with excitement for Kentucky’s future… This overall investment continues to impact thousands of Kentuckians, while strengthening our economy and improving the Commonwealth.”

Photo credit: Tino Rossini/ Flickr/ CC BY 2.0

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • "scarey" "scarey" on May 10, 2012

    I only have second-hand info on this topic, and not on the Toyota plants in Lexington Ky, but a friend-of-a-friend who works in the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tn reports that his final inspection job RARELY turns up any assembly errors or quality control issues, and worker morale continues to be very high.

    • See 8 previous
    • Highdesertcat Highdesertcat on May 12, 2012

      @onyxtape Nicely put, Dan! When I was young and foolish and living in Huntington Beach, CA, near the beach, my dream was to remain a surfer and continue the life I had been so successful at on the beach. My dad had taught me how to rebuild the race engines for his dragster and I just knew that I could be an ace mechanic during my spare time away from the ocean, and make a ton of money at it. My dad put an end to that dream by packing my bags for me and putting them out on the sidewalk in front of the house the day I graduated from High School. I took the oath and joined the Air Force that same day, fully intending to decide my future course of action during the next four years of my enlistment. I ended up staying for twenty years. True story!

  • ClutchCarGo ClutchCarGo on May 10, 2012

    Mmmmm, bourbon. Why, thanks, I think I will have a drop.

  • David C. Holzman David C. Holzman on May 10, 2012

    Kentucky is one state that has a product which can make Americans proud David (love Blanton's)

  • 77MGB 77MGB on May 11, 2012

    This thread has me thinking hard about digging through those boxes in the basement and finding my old paperback of Vonnegut's "Player Piano" for something to read this weekend.

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